Freedom of religion is a fundamental aspect of liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the dignity of being human.

Freedom of religion is under threat—in the United States and around the world—from religious nationalists, religious extremists, theocrats, fascists, and others, including the merely greedy who pursue their own selfish interests by manipulating the masses through religion.

This blog is an effort to combat religious nationalism and religious extremism, to promote freedom of conscience, and to inspire people who want to think and talk about what it means to be human. We’ll be doing philosophy for the public at the intersection of politics and religion.

Some of the big topics here are whether and how we can have knowledge of the supernatural, the extent to which religious ideas do or (spoiler alert) don’t belong in government, the philosophy behind the ideals of religious toleration and the separation of church and state. My approach is philosophical (ranging across metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, ethics, political theory, philosophy of religion, and more). Since these topics often intersect with the law, politics, and modern culture, I discuss them, too.